48 teams, games at 4 a.m. and entry chaos for Iran make for a turbulent World Cup. It is already big, loud and political. Here’s what you need to know before kick-off.
Dig out the colored pencils from the cellar and put the beer crates cold, because it’s time for the World Cup – and the “biggest, most inclusive and greatest World Cup of all time,” as FIFA President Infantino described it at the end of May 2026. But why is this World Cup so big – and what do ear plugs and boycott calls have to do with it?
Simply “Great”
The 2026 World Cup is not only a big event geographically because it takes place in Mexico, Canada and the USA – the number of participants has also been significantly increased. Instead of the previous 32, 48 nations will take part this year. On the one hand, this brings newcomers such as Congo, Haiti, Uzbekistan and Qatar into the tournament, and on the other hand, the number of games broadcast increases from 64 to 104.
More games mean more advertising space and revenue – although it remains to be seen how much interest there will be in a game between Congo and Uzbekistan at 1:30 a.m. Central European Time. Which means the next topic is already on the table: kick-off times.
Ear plugs
Anyone who expected to commit a bit of working time fraud and secretly watch Congo against Uzbekistan in the toilet will be disappointed: This high-profile event takes place at 1:30 a.m. Central European Time. A World Cup on another continent brings with it strange kick-off times – in the group phase everything is from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in the morning.
For German employees, this means, on the one hand, that they can finally concentrate on the numbers undisturbed when formatting Excel tables. On the other hand, it assumes that the neighbors are not rooting for Turkey, Ghana, Morocco or the USA. Because while FIFA pays meticulous attention to putting games from nations with large audiences in the most attractive broadcast slots, Turkish fans can look forward to kick-offs at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning.
Meanwhile, Germany kicks comfortably at 7:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. So it’s better to ring the neighbor’s doorbell and ask which team your heart beats for – so that you can push the ear plugs into your ear canal in good time on the days in question.
boycott
Although the World Cup is taking place in Mexico, the USA and Canada, the focus of the reporting is often on the USA. Because while FIFA Peace Prize winner Trump is waging an active war with Iran, the Iranian national team has to leave the country on the same day on its matchdays. According to “The Athletic”, individual officials from Iran and a FIFA referee from Somalia do not receive a visa at all.
But the entry problems don’t just affect teams and officials – fans also have to worry about their visas. According to the BBC, several Scottish fans were unable to enter the USA at short notice because their ESTA status had spontaneously changed from “approved” to “travel not authorized”. The World Cup can only be considered the “most inclusive of all time” in terms of its scandals.
Where can I watch the games?
If you’re still in the mood for the World Cup, you’re now asking yourself: Where can you watch the games? First of all there is Tipico – the friendly sports betting provider next door. Eager bettors should actually be rewarded with a free broadcast of all games. At least that’s what they said before Tipico took the announcement off the website after a few hours, leaving FIFA confused.
German viewers, on the other hand, can rely on ARD and ZDF – i.e. on 60 of the 104 games, depending on the ratings potential. Alternatively, you can use YouTube, where all games are broadcast – but only the first 15 minutes.
If you want to watch longer, you can switch to MagentaTV: All the games are actually shown here – with Tom Kaulitz as a “fan expert”.
Musical overkill
If the sporting aspects of the World Cup are less important to you, you can look forward to some musical highlights this year. In keeping with the host country USA, a halftime show for the final will take place for the first time in FIFA history. Madonna, Shakira and BTS will appear – a powerful star ensemble, complemented by the artistic direction of Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
The opening games in the three host countries will also be accompanied by music. The show opens in Mexico City on June 11th with J Balvin, Tyla, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda and Danny Ocean.
Canada and the USA will follow on June 12th: Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince will be on stage for Canada, while the USA will be sending Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla into the race.